Skeleton in car: The moment fisher found underwater tomb

Stuart Cumming
Reporter
Stuart studied journalism at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba. He worked briefly at Central Queensland News and Warwick Daily News. He has worked as a reporter at The Chronicle since July 2009.

UPDATE: THE car winched from Borumba Dam on Thursday has been confirmed as that of missing person Stuart Gatehouse.

But Sunshine Coast Crime Group officer Detective Inspector Dave Drinnen said results of forensic examinations being conducted on skeletal remains found inside would need to be finalised before they could confirm whether or not they had found the man missing for 13 years.

Mr Gatehouse would have turned 58 on Thursday.

"At this stage it is far too early in the investigation to be making any speculation as to who the deceased person that was located in that vehicle," Det Insp Drinnen said.

He said a post mortem examination was also being conducted to determine the cause of the occupant's death.

"We have not been able to establish what has transpired in relation to the vehicle that has been located submerged in the dam."

Depth sounding images show a car resting on the bottom of Borumba Dam. The car was later found to contain human remains.Terry Allwood

He would neither confirm nor deny reports a firearm was also retrieved from the submerged car.

The red VL Holden Commodore was identified by a fisherman using a depth sounder during a contest on the dam on March 25.

It was reported to police later that day.

Basstasstic Fishing Club competition organiser Russell Nowland was on the water when one of his fellow club members came across it.

"We've come across all sorts of stuff with the electric sounders," Mr Nowland said.

He was shocked to learn on Thursday the car had a body in it.

"It is terrible find you find out someone is in the car," Mr Nowland said.

Depth sounding images show a car resting on the bottom of Borumba Dam. The car was later found to contain human remains.Terry Allwood

He was also surprised by the length of time between the car find being reported and its retrieval.

Det Insp Drinnen said heavy rain and flooding had delayed the retrieval of the car.

"You have to remember that we went through a fairly major weather event over that period," Det Insp Drinnen said.

"The information at the time... all we had was an object that was in the water and its quite deep out at the dam there.

"So when we get divers up here this is where we come to."

He was unaware if a police search of the dam had been conducted in the 13 years since Mr Gatehouse went missing.